Critics ask if Italy gave too much to Taliban

ROME (Reuters) - Euphoria over the release of an Italian reporter kidnapped in Afghanistan was tempered on Tuesday by concern that Rome and Kabul paid too high a price for his freedom by exchanging him for five jailed Taliban.

Although Rome has not officially confirmed that Kabul released five Taliban, including the brother of a guerrilla commander, the details were confirmed on Tuesday by the Italian charity group that mediated the talks in Afghanistan.

The Taliban reportedly called the nearly two-week abduction of Daniele Mastrogiacomo a "victory for all the Taliban".

"The government sold out," ran the front-page headline in Italy's right-wing Libero newspaper. "Reporter released in exchange for 5 Taliban," said leading daily Corriere della Sera.

La Stampa daily questioned whether the negotiations to free the La Repubblica journalist were hypocritical, given that Rome had 1,900 peacekeepers in Afghanistan meant to help NATO secure the country after the U.S.-led overthrow of the Taliban in 2001.

"If this is the just price chosen to pay to save the life of Mastrogiacomo, it's up to (the government) to show Italy is still able to continue fulfilling its role in Afghanistan without becoming the weak link in the international alliance."

KARZAI AUTHORISED RELEASE

Gino Strada, head of aid group Emergency which describes itself as neutral and provides medical assistance to victims of war, said Afghan President Hamid Karzai authorized the Taliban prisoners' release to protests by his own government.

"The Afghan government was not a big help," Strada told La Stampa. "(Italy's ambassador) spent hours and hours fighting with ministers and Afghan officials that refused to carry out Karzai's orders."

Alfredo Mantovano, a senator with the right-wing National Alliance, called on Prime Minister Romano Prodi's government to explain itself in parliament.

"What's happened is that the negotiations to get an Italian's freedom has a price of freeing terrorists -- there are no precedents for this," said Mantovano.

But it is not the first time that Rome has been accused of bowing to kidnappers' demands. Italian hostages in Iraq, including a reporter and charity workers, were released amid rumors of huge payments to the Islamic militant kidnappers.

In 2004, Italy's Red Cross said it treated four presumed Iraq "terrorists" and four of their children to secure the release of two Italian charity workers kidnapped in Iraq.

Mastrogiacomo was picked up in the lawless southern province of Helmand on March 5 along with two Afghan colleagues and the Taliban said he had confessed to spying for British troops.

The Taliban often executes Afghans it accuses of spying and Mastrogiacomo was forced to watch his driver being beheaded.

"Four young men grab the driver and shove his face into the sand. They cut his throat and continue until they have cut his whole head," Mastrogiacomo wrote in La Repubblica, his daily.

Libero newspaper wrote in a front-page editorial: "To have opened the jail doors to five friends of throat-cutters in exchange for an unwise journalist is straight-out repugnant."